1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to cleaning methods and more particularly to an improved method of cleaning up petroleum oil spills.
2. Prior Art & Discussion
The Exxon Valdez wreck that caused the worst U.S. oil spill in history occurred in Mar., 1989, disgorging 11 million gallons of petroleum oil along the Alaskan coast, resulting in great destruction of wildlife, severe damage to the Alaskan fishing industry and fouling of vast stretches of coastal beaches. Cleanup efforts associated with that oil spill are still going on. However, although larger than other such accidents, the Exxon Valdez oil spill is one of many which occur each week throughout each year.
Thus far, no easy and efficient method has been found to clean up the inland and coastal waters and beaches affected by such oil spills. Very small oil spills can be coralled through the deployment of inflatable floating hoses and booms, but these are of little use against large spills or even small spills unless prompt action is taken. Recently, the use of petroleum oil-digesting bacteria has been suggested. However, it is not known what the long-term effect of large quantitites of such bacteria will be on the environment, including the wildlife food chain. Most of what is being done for clean-up work merely consists of manually or machine peeling of partiallly solidified petroleum goo from beaches and allowing the petroleum oil still in the water to dissipate over time in the open sea. As the oil solidifies in water into gasey droplets, it sinks in the water, entrapping and killing sea creatures, fouling the sea bottoms, impeding fishing operations and fouling ship hulls and equipment.
There remains an urgent and great need for a simple, efficient, rapid and inexpensive method of stripping petroleum oil from waters and beaches so as to effectively clean up spills without harming wildlife or the environment. This need comes at an especially critical time when increased U.S. oil production is required to partially replace reduced supplies of mid-eastern oil. This includes offshore drillings near sensitive coastal areas that are patrolled by environmentalists. A proven method would assure clean-up from spills or exploratory mishaps, provided this standard method of equipment is at hand for such emergencies.